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INCREASING THE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY THROUGH QUICK-FIRE GAME AT THE EIGHTH-GRADE
STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 3 BAMBANG
1Juanda Hirawan, 2Rita Roswita Duyo, 3Sri Yulianti Ardiningtyas
1STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: juandahirawan11@gmail.com
2STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: ritaduyo@stkip.ypup.ac.id
3STKIP YPUP Makassar, Email: sriardiningtyas@stkip.ypup.ac.id
Abstract
The objective of the research is to find out whether the use of Quick-fire game is effective in improving students’ vocabulary or not. This research was conducted in SMP Negeri 3 Bambang. The population of this research were the students of the eighth-grade student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang which consist of 19 students in the academic year 2020/2021. The sample of this research was 19 students, which taken by technique total sampling. The dependent variable of this research was the students’
vocabulary improving and independent variable was teaching vocabulary by using Quick-fire game.
The instrument of this research was vocabulary test, consist of 20 questions in multiple choice and it administer in the pre-test and post-test. the researcher used the quantitative design in form of pre- experimental design with one group of pre-test and post-test. The result showed that the mean score of the post-test was greater than pre-test (68.94 > 33.15). And the t-test was higher than the t-table (3.38 > 1.734), with the level of significant 0,05. Based on the result, the use of Quick-fire game was effective in improving the students’ vocabulary mastery and gave the positive impact to the student at the Eight-grade student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang.
Keywords: Vocabulary, Quick-fire game.
INTRODUCTION
Language is a way to communicate one another that use by human being. The language often accompanies them wherever and wherever they are in order to establish a successful relationship (Wahidah, 2018). In English, vocabulary is the one of the most essential skills required for foreign language teaching and learning. In their attempt to use English effectively, it is the key instrument for the students. In addition, learning vocabulary also be the one of important part of communicate one another, the people that want to learn language of course they have to memorize vocabularies before use vocabulary to arrange them into good sentence. Many learners learn new vocabulary very easily, but they often quickly forget them (Pinter, 2004). In addition, for vocabularies the students tend to forget the meaning of the word which had been taught or practiced before. In this research, the researcher interested to improve students’ vocabulary in SMP Negeri 3 Bambang, because before doing the research, the researcher did observation by interviewing in SMP Negeri 3 Bambang. There are many methods that could help the students enrich and improve their vocabulary, one of them is game. Putri (2013), state that game in improving students’ vocabulary mastery was successful. Some studies show that teaching vocabulary through games can help students improve their vocabulary and other language skills.
Finally, this strategy is expected to enhance students’ ability in mastering vocabulary. Based on the explanation above, the researcher is interested in conducting research with the entitled
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“Increasing the Students’ Vocabulary Mastery Through Quick-fire Game at the Eighth-Grade Student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang”.
As a solution of the problems, the researcher proposes Quick-fire Game as strategy in teaching vocabulary. The researcher assumes that his technique is effective to make students interesting and fell enjoy to studying the lesson and motivate the students to improve their vocabulary.
One of the significant elements of teaching English is vocabulary. This declaration is endorsed by Thanh Huyen & Thi Thu Nga as cited in Maryam and Behzad (2013) explained that vocabulary plays a big part. It is one of the components that bind all of the four abilities of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
According to Mohammadnejad, Nikdel, Oroujlou (2012), vocabulary is a basic aspect of a language used to mark objects, such as nouns, adjectives, and verbs, to clarify the essence of what they want to say. Meanwhile, Chamdani and Susiani (2014), state that in learning English, vocabulary is an important elements, but it is often tend to forget in learning process. Without learning vocabulary, students will be difficult in learning English.
In addition, Vocabulary is not just a compilation of phrases. It implies that vocabulary is not just a word that has no meaning, but also a set of words that become a phrase or more to express something so that it can be meaningful knowledge (Nasikhah, 2019). In line with this, Maduratna (2014:290) that Vocabulary includes collection of words. They are known not only as individual words, but also a group of words that have meaning
Quick-fire game was found for the first time by David Mulcahy (2013) that used to make the classroom atmosphere more enjoyable and interesting as long as teaching and learning process. David has been teaching ESL for a number of years across Asia and Europe. This game used for teaching- learning vocabulary for ESL students.
According to Google on https://eslkidsgames.com/2013/06/quick-fire-vocabulary.html states that this game is a simple way to practice and revise vocabulary and even speaking in the ESL classroom. Students need to clarify the significance of as many words in one or two minutes as possible in this game.
How to play Quick-fire Game
According to YouTube on https://youtu.be/cseuah5FjEw , here are the steps to start the game Quick-fire game in teaching vocabulary for students:
a) Put the class in two groups
b) Give the students’ small squares of paper, 2-3 per student.
c) Tell the students to write different nouns, famous people, animal, verbs.
d) Collect all the words and put them in a box.
e) One student for each team picks words from the box and tries to explain as many as they can in one minute.
f) Give a point for every words the guess.
METHOD
The design of this research is quantitative design: a
kind of the research is pre experimental design. It means with one group pretest and posttest design.
Gay (2012), Experimental research is the only kind of research that can test hypothesis to determine relationships between cause and effect. The researcher was applied pre-test, treatment, post-test design to know how far Quick-fire game to improve the students’ vocabulary and to increase the students’
interest in the learning process at the eight-grade student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang. The population of this research was the Eight-Grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang, Kab. Mamasa in academic year 2020/2021. The total numbers of population were 19 students, consisted of one class. The sample of this research was the class VIII consisted of 19 students. The sampling technique in this research using total sampling. The researcher took class VIII because their vocabulary in this was very law.
291 FINDINGS
The researcher has stated in the previous chapter that the way to collect data in this research by using test, pre-test and post-test. This test aimed at collecting data of the students’ vocabulary. The data analysis was by using statistical technique. The data analysis is used to describe the conclusion of the research data. Based on the data analysis of pre-test and post-test the researchers make tables as follows: In this table, the researchers present the students pre-test to know the improvement of students in vocabulary to see it frequency and percentage.
The frequency and percentage score of the students in pre-test can be seen on the table as follows:
From the explanation in table above, it shown that most of students in the pre-test. Based on the result scoring of the pre-test, it can be conclude that all of the students still under the fair classification. It can be seen at the table above, that there are two students in the fair classification (11%), in the poor classification, there are eleven students (58%), and the most of students get the poor classification, the last classification is very poor, with the total students, there are six students (32%). In the following graphic, would be show the graphic of the pre-test:
From the figure above, it shown that there was category poor was higher before using the Quick-fire game, it can be conclude that students vocabulary mastery at the eight-grade student was still in law category.
Meanwhile, after giving the treatment about vocabulary and understand the vocabulary, the post-test is the result of the treatment using Quick-fire game.
The students’ score in post-test would be presented in the following table:
No Score Classification Frequency Percentage
1 90-
100 Excellent 0 0
2 70-89 Good 0 0
3 50-69 Fair 2 11
4 30-49 Poor 11 58
5 Oct-
29 Very Poor 6 32
Total 19 100
0 10 20
1 2 3 4 5
F r e q u e n c y
Classification
Pre-test
292 From the explanation in table 4.6 above, it shown that most of students in the post-test. Based on the result scoring of the post-test, it can be concluded that all of the students’ score after getting the treatment using Quick-fire game was significant improve. It can be seen from the table above, there are two students in the excellent classification (11%), in the good classification, there are eight students (42%), and the last classification is fair, with the total
students, there are nine students (47%). In the following table, will be show the graphic of the post- test:
From the figure 4.2 above, it shown that there was category fair was higher after the treatment using the Quick-fire game, it can be conclude that students vocabulary mastery had been increase after getting the treatment Quick-fire game.
The following table would be the classification of percentage and frequency score of the students’ in pre-test and post-test:
From the result data of the table 4.7 above, it shown that the rate percentage of pre-test was lower than post-test. In the pre-test, students got very poor classification there are six students (32%), students got poor classification there are eleven students (58%), and the fair classification there are two students (11%).
0 10
1 2 3 4
Classification
Post-test
No Score Classification Frequency Percentage
1 90-
100 Excellent 2 11
2 70-89 Good 8 42
3 50-69 Fair 9 47
4 30-49 Poor 0 0
5 Oct-
29 Very Poor 0 0
Total 19 100
Score Classification
Frequency Percentage Pre-
test
Post- test
Pre- test
Post- test 90-
100 Excellent 0 2 0 11
70-89 Good 0 8 0 42
50-69 Fair 2 9 11 47
30-49 Poor 11 0 58 0
10-29 Very Poor 6 0 32 0
Total 19 19 100 100
293 Meanwhile, in the post-test, the students’ score was significant different between before and after doing the treatment using Quick-fire game. The students vocabulary was improve after did the treatment, the students score and classification, it can be seen from the table 4.7 above, that students in fair classification there are nine students (47%), students in good classification there are eight students (42%), and the very good classification there are two students (11%). It means after getting the treatment in the lesson activity using Quick-fire game was increase.
In the following graphic, it would be show the graphic of pre-test and post-test:
From the Figure above, it shows that the students’ score in the pre-test was still law before getting the treatment. In the graphic all of the students’ getting the score under the fair classification.
For each classification, there are two (2) students in the fair classification, in the poor classification, there eleven (8) students’, and the last classification is very poor classification, and students in getting this very poor classification, there are six (6) students.
Meanwhile, after scoring the students’ pre-test, the researcher did the treatment using the Quick-fire game. The aimed of treatment using the Quick-fire game, it is to increase the students’
vocabulary mastery. And after doing the treatment, the researcher conduct the post-test as a result of Quick-fire game. And the score of the post-test was significant different from the score in the pre-test.
This score of post-test significant improve, it can be proved from the graphic above. In the graphic above show that, there is no student below the fair classification, but all of the student above the fair classification. For the explanation, the students in the fair classification, there are nine students, there are eight students in the good classification, and last classification, there are two students in the excellent classification. It means that the students’ vocabulary mastery was improve after getting the treatment using the Quick-fire game. And based on the graphic above, the researcher concluded that using Quick-fire game in the learning English, it allowed to the student to increase the vocabulary.
In the following table, it would be show the pre-test and post-test mean score and standard deviation of the students:
Test Mean Score
Standard Deviation Pre-test
Post-test
33.15 68.94
10.82 13.18
In the following explanation from the table above, it would be showing the data of the mean score and standard deviation (SD) in pre-test and post-test. The result of the data showing that there was an improvement while doing the treatment. As the result, average pre-test score was higher than the average post-test score. The mean score was 33.15 in the pre-test and the post-test rose to 68.94, and the pre-test standard deviation (SD) was 10.82, while the post-test standard deviation (SD) was
0 0,2 0,4 0,6
1 2 3 4 5
Classification
Pre-test Post-test
294 increased become 13.18. It means that the students’ vocabulary mastery was improved after getting the treatment using Quick-fire game in the learning process. Then in the following graphic, it would be presented the mean score and standard deviation (SD) of the students:
According to the graphic above, it shown that there was significant different between pre-test and post-test after getting the treatment using Quick-fire game. For the pre-test mean score was 33.15, and the standard deviation of pre-test was 10.82, and this score was still in the law classification. And after doing the treatment using Quick-fire game, it was make all the students enthusiastic and having fun in the learning process. And after doing the treatment, the researcher did the post-test as the result of the Quick-fire game in increasing the students’ vocabulary.
And the graphic above, it shown that the students’ score in the post-test was increase after getting the treatment the Quick-fire game, it can be prove from the post-test score was 68.94 and the standard deviation was 13.18. Thus, the researcher conclude that the students’ vocabulary was significant increase after getting the treatment using Quick-fire game.
The hypothesis was tested by using inferential analysis. In this case, the researcher used t-test (testing of significance) or paired samples test for independent sample test, that is, a test to know the significance of difference between the result of students’ mean score in score of pretest and posttest.
For the level, significant (𝛼) 5%, and degree of freedom (df) = 18, and the t table is 1.734, while the t test value is 3.38. It implies that the t-test value is higher than t-table value (3.38 ≥ 1.734).So, it can be assumed that the rise in the number of students’ vocabulary mastery was success and significantly better after getting the treatment of Quick-fire game. Thus, the null hypothesis (H0) was rejected, and alternative hypothesis (H1) was accepted.
This means that the data of posttest as the final result gave significant improvement. It is concluded that the use of Quick-fire game in teaching and learning process especially in vocabulary classroom activities can increase the students’ vocabulary and there are any different significant improvement between the pretest and posttest of the students after they have been treatment by using Quick-fire game.
DISCUSSION
The researcher conclude two criteria success set in this research: 1) the students’ vocabulary mastery was increase; and 2) the students in learning process always having fun and interest in learning process, especially in learning English vocabulary using Quick-fire game.
The discussion deals with interpretation of the findings of data analysis. This research use Quick-fire game strategy to increase the students’ vocabulary mastery at the eighth-grade student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang.
The findings above showed that the use of Quick-fire game in teaching English vocabulary was increase. It is proved by α (0.05) value of the students’ posttest was higher than t—table value (1.734). The description of the data collected through vocabulary test in post test showed that the students’ vocabulary was siqnificantly improved. It is proved by the mean score of the rate students’
post-test result 68.94 was higher than pretest 33.15. it indicated that there was significant improvement of the students’ vocabulary.
0 100
Mean Score
Standard Deviation
S C O R E
TEST
Pre-test Post-test
295 The mean score of posttest improved after they were given treatments through Quick-fire game. As a result after giving treatment of using Quick-fire game for four meetings, the students have good vocabulary. It caused of the students were given the material and vocabulary through Quick-fire game before conducting the posttest in group or individually, so they have good preparation in studying and faced the test.
The analysis showed that the use of Quick-fire game in improving students’ vocabulary is significantly between pre-test and post-test. The researcher found the students very interest in learning vocabulary by using Quick-fire game. After conducted the treatment using Quick-fire game in learning vocabulary the researcher can concluded that the students are interest in learning vocabulary by using Quick-fire game.
Thus, from the discussion above, it can be concluded that as a good teacher, it should be have many strategies in teaching students’ vocabulary. The chosen method in teaching students’ vocabulary must be have variation, because as the researcher know that the difficulties that students’ face was they cannot translate the words in Indonesia and they complained about the meaning of English words.
That is why, the researcher applied the Quick-fire game at the eighth-grade student of SMP Negeri 3 Bambang because this strategies have the positive impact to the students and their vocabulary mastery after the researcher applied the Quick-fire game was significant improve after the treatment. It means that the implementation of Quick-fire game can help the students to increase their vocabulary mastery and helped them in memorizing English words. The Quick-fire game can be applied in small or big class, and can be combined with other games.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
Based on the researcher findings and discussion in the previous chapter, the researcher comes to the following conclusion:
The result of the data analysis in the pre-test mean score is (33.15), with the standard deviation is (10.82). Meanwhile, the post-test is the result of the treatment by using Quick-fire game was increased, it can be proved from the mean score in the post-test is (68.94), and the standard deviation is (13.18). And the result of t test was greater than t table (3.38 ≥ 1.734) at the level significance 5%
and degree of freedom (df) was 18. Based on the explanation above, it can be proven by the scoring in the previous chapter in pre-test and post-test. The mean score in pre-test (33.15) is lower than the mean score in post-test (68.94), and t test was greater than t table (3.38 ≥ 1.734). This means that the null hypothesis (H0) has been dismissed and the alternative hypothesis (H1) has been accepted.
Based on the conclusion, the researcher would gave some suggestion:
In this suggestion, the researcher would like to give some suggestion related with this research for teacher, students, and the other researcher in the future. For the good teacher, should have many creativity in teaching English, especially vocabulary. Many games that can be used by the teachers in learning English vocabulary. Quick-fire game one of them. The teacher can use this strategy to teach English vocabulary. Students should be more involved during the learning process and not afraid of making mistakes, particularly in learning vocabulary for games. The students should practice their vocabulary in English, and always having fun as long as the learning English process. For the other researcher, this thesis can use to be a reference to conduct the next research.
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https://youtu.be/cseuah5FjEw
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